Nantucket Film Festival reveals schedule for 26th edition plus added events

The Nantucket Film Festival (NFF) announced today the schedule for its in-person events taking place during the 26th annual edition, June 17-28. The festival also announced its additional programming, including new films and conversations, as well as this year’s Tony Cox Screenplay Competition juries.

In addition, the festival has revealed the schedule for its NFF GARDEN SERIES, 11 intimate open-air conversations and screenings at private residences across Nantucket. The NFF AT THE DRIVE-IN schedule was also announced, offering audiences eight screenings on Nantucket at the Dreamland Drive-In.

Organizers also announced several new events being added to the Festival’s online component, NFF NOW: AT HOME, including a conversation with screenwriter Katie Silberman (BOOKSMART), and new films ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN by past NFF honoree Morgan Neville, from Focus Features; Sundance multi-award-winning Kosovo drama HIVE by Blerta Basholli, from Zeitgeist Films; pandemic relationship comedy THE END OF US by Henry Loevner and Steven Kanter, and the first two episodes of FIASCO, an Epix docuseries adaptation of Leon Neyfakh’s popular political podcast of the same name. The Festival’s long-running high school filmmaking program, NFF Teen View, produced in conjunction with Nantucket Community Television (NCTV), will also screen online, with individual student films screening before drive-in presentations.

The Festival also named the jurors of this year’s Tony Cox Screenplay Competition, who will select the best unproduced screenplays and television pilots by emerging writers in four categories. The Film Screenplay Competition jury, which will determine the Feature and Short categories, is comprised of Academy Award®-nominated producer Rachel Winter (whose directorial debut, THE SPACE BETWEEN, screens at this year’s Festival), Disney Streaming’s Sam Cox (son of Tony Cox), and writer/filmmaker Elizabeth Chatelain (winner of the 2019 Tony Cox Feature Screenplay Competition). The Episodic Pilot Competition jury, responsible for the 60 Minute and 30 Minute categories, includes screenwriter Andi Delott, script editor/screenwriter Kate Levitt, and screenwriter Huong Nguyen, all past winners of the competition.

The festival runs from June 17-28, 2021. Passes are currently on sale at the Festival’s website (www.nantucketfilmfestival.org), including Streaming Passes for NFF NOW: AT HOME. Individual tickets will go on sale June 4.

The live-events schedule and newly announced programming for the 2021 Nantucket Film Festival follows.

Schedule:

NFF GARDEN SERIES

Thursday, June 17

5:00-6:30pm

Opening Night Cocktails + Queen of Beach Reads 

Conversation with Elin Hilderbrand

Hosted by Ginny Grenham and Paul Zevnik (Town)

Friday, June 18

8:00-10:15pm

Screening of Jay Craven’s JACK LONDON’S MARTIN EDEN

Hosted by Lois Romano and Sven Holmes (off of Polpis)

Saturday, June 19

12:30-2:00pm

Women Warriors Rewrite the Rules and Take on ISIS

Conversation with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Marc Skvirsky

Hosted by Cecelia Joyce Johnson (Brant Point)

Saturday, June 19

5:00-6:30pm

The Making of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and More

Conversation with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino

Hosted by Cecelia Joyce Johnson (Brant Point)

Wednesday, June 23

5:00-6:30pm

What Is a Ghost

Conversation with Blue Balliett and Kate Brosnan

Hosted by Debbie Kirk Kahn and Peter Kahn (Town)

Thursday, June 24

5:00-6:30pm

A Better Man…

Conversation with Michael Ian Black 

Hosted by Vaughan Bagley (Eel Point)

Thursday, June 24

8:00-10:15pm

Screening of Stephanie Soechtig’s THE DISRUPTORS

Hosted by Vaughan Bagley (Eel Point)

Friday, June 25

5:00-7:00pm

Sunset Stories with Ophira Eisenberg

Hosted by John Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt (Tom Nevers)

Saturday, June 26

5:00-6:30pm

Breaking Loose

Conversation with Kelsey Grammer and Ophira Eisenberg

Hosted by Cindy Jones and Evan Jones (Monomoy)

Sunday, June 27

12:00-1:30pm

This Is a Robbery: The Art of the Heist 

Conversation with the Barnicle Brothers and Maureen Orth

Hosted by Franci Neely (Monomoy)

Sunday, June 27

5:00-6:30pm

Journalism, Biography, and the World of Television News

Conversation with Chris Matthews and Lesley Stahl

Hosted by Alice Rogoff (off of Polpis)

NFF AT THE DRIVE-IN

Doors open at 8:00pm, with screenings beginning at 8:30pm.

Thursday, June 17

Opening Night Film

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

Friday, June 18

THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52

Saturday, June 19

Centerpiece Film

PLAYING WITH SHARKS

Wednesday, June 23

SWAN SONG

Thursday, June 24

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

Friday, June 25

TBA

Saturday, June 26

THE SPACE BETWEEN

Sunday, June 27

Closing Night Film

CODA

New Program Additions:

NOW: AT HOME SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

IN THEIR SHOES…® CONVERSATIONS AND MORE

Exclusive to NFF’s online platform, these conversations and events bring inspiring figures into your own home.

IN THEIR SHOES®…

with Katie Silberman

A conversation with Katie Silberman, the screenwriter behind Booksmart, Set It Up, and Isn’t It Romantic, who is at the front of a new wave of women-led comedies. Her success with these films–a perfect mix of clever situations and engaging relationships–has made her one of the most sought-after writers in the business.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAM

THE END OF US

Narrative Feature

Writer/Director/Producer: Henry Loevner, Steven Kanter

Producer: Claudia Restrepo, Lovell Holder

After a savage breakup, two exes must continue living together when California issues its stay-at-home order for COVID-19, forcing them to try to move on without moving out. Cast: Ben Coleman, Ali Vingiano, Derrick DeBlasis, Gadiel Del Orbe, Kate Peterman, Colin Weatherby, Caroline Kwan, Will Neff, Jesse Benjamin, Claudia Restrepo.

FIASCO

Documentary Series

Showrunner: John Marks

Director, Episode 1: Lizzie Blenk, Alyse Shorland

Director, Episode 2: Jonathan Clasberry

Producer: Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, Leon Neyfakh, John Marks, Steven Fisher, Andrew Parsons, Michael Wright, Jill Burkhart, Kevin Vargas

In his inimitable style, popularized by his podcast FIASCO, Leon Neyfakh chronicles the story of Iran Contra. Beginning in an unexpected place, the story of how the Iranian hostage crisis brought down Jimmy Carter, the saga unfolds the consequences of that downfall for Ronald Reagan, who campaigns on the disaster of Carter’s hostage crisis and then falls prey to a hostage debacle of his own. Spanning multiple continents and time zones, FIASCO dives into one of the least understood of all political scandals and reveals the true scope of Iran Contra for the first time with groundbreaking interviews, rare archival, and a cinematic style that underscores the complexity of the mess.

HIVE

Narrative Feature

Writer/Director: Blerta Basholli

Producer: Valon Bajgora, Yll Uka, Agon Uka

Fahrije, whose husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo, sets up her own small business to provide for her kids, but as she fights against a patriarchal society that does not support her, she faces a crucial decision: to wait for his return, or to continue to persevere. Cast: Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi, Kumrije Hoxha, Adriana Matoshi, Kaona Sylejmani. 

ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN

Documentary Feature

Director: Morgan Neville

Producer: Caitrin Rogers

A documentary about the uncommon life of the late storyteller, explorer, and chef, Anthony Bourdain. Directed by Oscar winner and past NFF honoree Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?).

SHORT FILM PROGRAM

NFF TEEN VIEW SHORTS

A presentation of the short films produced by Nantucket High School students participating in our Teen View Labs, organized in collaboration with Nantucket Community Television (NCTV). 

Coma

Director: Samuel Hofford 

The History of the Nantucket Whaling Museum

Director: Shadia Sabrah 

The Island Waves

Director: JohnCarl McGrady

Ms. Parker

Director: Anna Popnikolova

The Power of Animal Adoption

Director: Natalie Mack 

Teaching During a Pandemic

Director: Andrew Daume

Individual NFF Teen View Shorts will screen in front of each Drive-In presentation, while the entire collection of films, NFF TEEN VIEW SHOWCASE, will screen as part of the Festival’s online component, NFF NOW: AT HOME.

Photo Credit: Chris Stephens